The Fairgrounds Racecourse dishes up a heaping bowl of traditional New Orleans bread pudding.  No fruit other than raisins, no chocolate, no frills:  straightforward, custardy goodness, topped with rum sauce.

It’s just the thing to chase a corned beef sandwich dressed with Gulden’s mustard…or a dozen raw at the open-air paddock oyster bar.

Speaking of the open-air paddock oyster bar, it certainly deserved to be on Times-Picayune food critic Brett Anderson’s list of “favorite oyster bars”.  Perhaps Mr. Anderson isn’t a racing fan….or maybe he’s allergic to horses.  In any event, it’s hard to beat slurping down oysters while picking out a pony.  Within 15 feet, a patron can lay a bet, buy a bloody mary and a dozen oysters, and watch a football game on an overhead TV, all while enjoying 68-degree weather.